Centre Vocational Assessment Policy

TEMPLATE
1. Issue and review
The date of issue of this policy is 19/09/20. This policy will be reviewed annually.

2. The Scope of this Policy

This document lays out the assessment policy of John Henry Newman Catholic College for all RSL
Vocational Qualifications. This document is designed to be used in conjunction with RSL guidance
(specifications, syllabus documents, RSL How to Guides and Centre Handbook) which is available to all
assessors [stored in a secure folder for exams officer and IV] as well as the [Assessor Handbook if
applicable].

3. Assessment Policy
Internal Assessment
Assignment Briefs

All learners will work on assignment briefs for internally assessed units and present their evidence using
a combination of video and written evidence. This will be stored in a secure hard drive within the centre’s
network. All assignment briefs will be created by the assessor delivering the programme. 100% of these
will be internally verified prior to issue. All assessors will submit assignment briefs [These will be
reviewed 3 by the IV three weeks before the students]. Assignment briefs will include:

1. Qualification title, unit number and name

2. The name of the centre and the tutor
3. The date set and the deadline for submission
4. The tasks – laid out in accessible way for learners
5. The assessment criteria alongside each task
6. Links to related resources (if appropriate)
7. Grading criteria
8. Submission checklist
9. How work is to be submitted

Internal Assessment Practice

All internal assessment will be conducted as assessment not as part of teaching and learning:

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o Learners complete their work within direct sight of the tutor(s) throughout the assessment.

o Learners may complete their work collaboratively but they have to indicate their own contribution
and that contribution MUST meet ALL assessment criteria in the specification.

o All work submitted must be attributable to the learner.

o The centre must ensure that learners have access to materials and resources as required.

o Feedback can be provided to the learner during completion of internal assignments but must not
constitute coaching or teaching in order to ensure that the work can be authenticated.

o The assessment must be undertaken in the allocated time on the assignment brief.

Resubmissions

John Henry Newman Catholic College has the following policy on resubmissions:

● Learners will be allowed one re-sit for internal assessments only.

● Learners can apply for special considerations should there be sufficient reason. In this instance the
John Henry Newman Catholic College Special Consideration Policy will apply.

● Resubmissions are uncapped if submitted by the required deadline. 

● Late resubmission is capped at a Pass.

Assessment of Learner Work

All learner work will be assessed for:

1. Authenticity

Learners will:

● Introduce themselves on video evidence presented.

● Every learner will be clearly seen and heard on all video evidence.
● All written work will be labelled with learner name, centre name, date of submission, task and
unit title on EVERY page.

Plagiarism

John Henry Newman Catholic College will investigate all cases of plagiarism identified through
assessment. Assessors are required to ensure that all learner work is authentic and they must
reference any research that they have undertaken in their final submission using an acceptable
referencing system (e.g. Harvard). When working in collaboration, all work must be directly
attributable to the individual learner. Please see John Henry Newman Catholic College Plagiarism
Policy for more details.

2. Assessment Criteria

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 All learner work will be assessed initially against the assessment criteria. If the learner has met all of
the assessment criteria, work will then be graded accordingly using the grading criteria. If they have
not met the assessment criteria, a grade of unclassified will be given.

3. Grading Criteria

All learner work meeting all of the assessment criteria will be graded as Pass or above. All grading
decisions will be clearly auditable and will justify the grading decision made.

4. The Audit Trail

All assessment, both formative and summative, as well as grading decisions of

Unclassified/Pass/Merit/Distinction will have a sufficient audit trail which will include:

● Learner name and details set out in the relevant assignment brief
● Date of assessment
● Type of assessment (formative or summative)
● Written feedback on the evidence seen:
o against the assessment criteria
o using the grading descriptors
o motivational and developmental
o precise and easy to follow
● Grade given for the work
● Details of any resubmission required and the relevant deadline
● Evidence of internal verification and 'sign off'

All assessors will use video evidence and written/verbal feedback for their feedback and assessment
decisions.

5. Timing of Assessment

All evidence will be assessed within 4 weeks of receipt and feedback will be provided to the
learners.

It is the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that all learner work is graded appropriately and that the
audit trail is available upon request to:

● Quality assurance staff

● Internal verifiers
● The Awarding Organisation

External Assessment
For the purpose of running external assessment, a responsible, named member of staff Head of Music
will supervise the controlled period of assessment and validate all the evidence submitted to RSL via
rslawards.com.

Levels of Control for RSL External Assessment

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During the preparation time: This will be conducted under non-supervised conditions:
● There will be sufficient evidence to ensure that the work can ultimately be authenticated as the
learner’s own.
● Use of resources including the internet is permitted and should be referenced.
● Interaction with other learners is permitted but the work must be authenticated as the learner’s
own.
● Time is restricted to the allocated period stated in the Controlled Assignment.
● Teaching staff may provide direction and general advice as required.

During the controlled assessment: This will be conducted under supervised conditions.
● Learners complete their work within direct sight of the supervisor(s) throughout the assessment.
● Learners have a limited amount of time as specified in the Controlled Assignment Brief.
● Learners complete their work independently. There is interaction with other learners only for the
purposes indicated in the assignment. All work submitted must be attributable to the individual
learner.
● No access to email, the internet or mobile phones unless expressly stated by the Controlled
Assignment Brief.
● Learners will have access to materials and resources as defined in the Controlled Assignment
Brief. Any other materials which may provide assistance are removed or covered.
● No feedback can be provided to the learner throughout the controlled assessment period.

All learner work will be uploaded by the deadline given by RSL by Head of Music

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